“Our Miss Gibbs” honoured

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33046, 13 October 1972, Page 5

“Our Miss Gibbs” honoured

It was called “A Tribute to Our Miss i Gibbs” by the 70 former Karitane nurses who held a reunion luncheon in Christchurch yesterday to honour Mrs D. Coinbridge (nee Miss Marjorie Gibbs), matron at Karitane Hospital from 1939 to 1946.

Another guest of honour was Dr J. I- Landreth, who has given 38 years voluntary service to the hospital. Four staff sisters who worked at the hospital when Miss Gibbs was matron were also at the luncheon. All “the girls” (many now grandmothers) who attended the luncheon, held at “Heatherlea,” had trained under Miss Gibbs during World War II years. They came from many parts of New Zealand for the reunion and contributed to the cost of a painting of Mount Cook by Malcolm Wallace, and a chest of drawers for a babies’ ward, which will be presented to the present matron of Karitane Hospital (Miss N. Fisher) today to mark the occasion. The painting bears a small plaque to exolain that it was given to the hospital by nurses who had trained under “Marjorie Gibbs Combridge.” Both the painting and the chest of drawers were on display at the luncheon yesterday, which was organised by Mrs A. S. Kyle, of Christchurch. After the luncheon, a bracket of songs, composed by Mrs Combridge, was sung by Mrs Grace Blair, accom-

panied by Mrs Maisie McNair. Mrs' D. Stalkey played flute items. During the morning, visitors were taken on a conducted tour of the new Christchurch Town Hall. This morning, most of the visitors will revisit Karitane Hospital for the presentation ceremony. Photographed above, from left, are Mrs Kyle (formerly Miss Daphne Caldwell, of Christchurch), Mrs Combridge, and Mrs lan Smith (formerly Miss Joy Hamilton), of Auckland.